PGX vs CGC Review

I'd just like to throw my two cents into the fray because I needed to vent about this lol.

I recently had a handful of books graded by CGC, and a handful of books graded by PGX. Let me just say, CGC's customer service is atrocious. I mean beyond poor. I will NEVER do business with them again, nor will I buy a book graded by them. My friend and I sent out 6 modern day comics for regular grading on June 21. This service is supposed to take 20 business days (1 month). Do you know how long it was until we got our comics back? DECEMBER (120 business days, 6 months) !! Their communication/explanation for the delay? Vague references (to the comic shop we did it through) of backups due to comic con and losing some graders to the competition (PGX). So for 6 months, we were completely in the dark as to the status of our comics.

On the other hand, we recently sent out 12 modern comics to PGX. PGX sent us an email upon their receipt of the books (1 week after we shipped them), along with their estimated date that they'd be done by. They then sent out an email when the books actually did ship (7 business days after the first email) along with the tracking number. And, oh by the way, they beat their own estimated finish date by a week. They certainly did an excellent job with communication and kept us informed every step of the way.

As for prices, again, it wasn't really close. With shipping and the broker fee we had to pay the comic shop, CGC ended up being about $30 a book to grade. With all costs included for PGX, it ended up being about $15 per book.

As for the quality of the grading. I think they're pretty much the same in my opinion. Especially considering CGC has lost a few graders to PGX, I imagine the difference is only due to reputation due to CGC's long foothold in the business. In my opinion, even IF CGC was marginally better at grading, the vast difference between the two companies in customer service and price would still make me use PGX again over CGC in a heartbeat.

As for PGX vs. CGC....you could certainly argue all day which is better, and maybe even be right.

However, that is an irrelevant argument. CGC has already won the argument. In fact, they didnt just win. They annihilated PGX.

The proof is the market. CGC graded books fetch several times the price of PGX graded books. The difference between the two makes the $15 savings in original price not matter.

There is no reason for a collector to get their books graded by PGX.

I am not making a comment on the worthiness of CGC or PGX. I am merely stating the fact that the actual, practical, real world market has decided that PGX has very little value and credence when compared tp CGC.

The question as to why post today is kind of a wierd one, but the reason is because I just got back my PGX books yesterday and was extremely pleased with the service. Your comments as to the value may very well be true, and perhaps it also justifies the $15 on very high end books, but does it justify half a year of waiting and horrific customer service? And as you pointed out, the value is different, but I don't think you can argue that the actual quality of the grading is significantly better one way or the other. I'd draw this analogy since its close to valentines day: it's like buying a 14k gold necklace for your girlfriend. If you buy Tiffany's the necklace will cost $2000, if you buy any other brand of the same weight it's $1000. The quality is the same, it's regulated by its gold content, but one has a name attached to it. As to the exact comics, I don't have them in front of me but off the top if my head they included:

I personally dont use either service but if I did would never use PGX simply because they swapped out (stole) a comic in the past and I always felt they handled it badly.

For a resellers purpose PGX has no real added value while CGC books can double (or more) in price simply by being slabbed by CGC. So If I did get books graded I would pay the extra charge to increase my comics value.

I do buy tons of PGX 9.8 books though simply because they can usually be had for less then a MINT book with no grading. then I simply crack and bag :). PGX just has no added value except having someone tell you the grade, and the slabs really dont protect books more then a good 4mil Mylar which only costs $1. So save yourself $14 and just use BCW mylars and comic extenders.

I personally dont use either service but if I did would never use PGX simply because they swapped out (stole) a comic in the past and I always felt they handled it badly.

For a resellers purpose PGX has no real added value while CGC books can double (or more) in price simply by being slabbed by CGC. So If I did get books graded I would pay the extra charge to increase my comics value.

I do buy tons of PGX 9.8 books though simply because they can usually be had for less then a MINT book with no grading. then I simply crack and bag :). PGX just has no added value except having someone tell you the grade, and the slabs really dont protect books more then a good 4mil Mylar which only costs $1. So save yourself $14 and just use BCW mylars and comic extenders.

This is my whole point. It doesn't matter whether you prefer PGX or CGC, since the market prefers CGC...and by a WIDE margin.

lol, I left in middle of adding post so missed yours but yeah PGX is pretty worthless for added value. Then again if you plan on sitting on comics for 10 years maybe then something will have happened and CGC will be out and PGX in, who knows.

Here is perfect example of how bad PGX is:Amazing Spiderman #300 Here a seller just says its a 9.4 no official grading and sells for $189ASM #300 UNGRADED

I liked PGX in the beginning, also back when it was CGG. Saw some pretty bad grades as time went by though, there's also the youtube video where the guy takes out his TMNT 1 and finds it's been swapped for a 3rd print.

Personally I'm taking books out of their cases, especially 8.0 and under, they're an easier sell. Cases are a headache, they scratch & crack so easily & the pretty much have to go boxed priority. With ultra high grade books it's still worth it.

I liked PGX in the beginning, also back when it was CGG. Saw some pretty bad grades as time went by though, there's also the youtube video where the guy takes out his TMNT 1 and finds it's been swapped for a 3rd print.Personally I'm taking books out of their cases, especially 8.0 and under, they're an easier sell. Cases are a headache, they scratch & crack so easily & the pretty much have to go boxed priority. With ultra high grade books it's still worth it.

If you have read this thread. you know I am no PGX shill.....but I have watched that video a dozen times....and I have decided it looks damned fishy. I admit I have no evidence other than the video itself, but I have a feeling that guy is faking.

I liked PGX in the beginning, also back when it was CGG. Saw some pretty bad grades as time went by though, there's also the youtube video where the guy takes out his TMNT 1 and finds it's been swapped for a 3rd print.Personally I'm taking books out of their cases, especially 8.0 and under, they're an easier sell. Cases are a headache, they scratch & crack so easily & the pretty much have to go boxed priority. With ultra high grade books it's still worth it.

If you have read this thread. you know I am no PGX shill.....but I have watched that video a dozen times....and I have decided it looks damned fishy. I admit I have no evidence other than the video itself, but I have a feeling that guy is faking.

My god, if I watched that video a dozen times I'd have nightmares for a week. I agree though, it probably wouldn't hold up in a court of law. As I recall the kid did wind up getting some compensation though.

As for CGC turnaround times on their website most of the economy tiers turnaround times are listed at ~20-40 days but the current turnaround time is listed at ~100-120 days. Yes your paperwork said 20 days but their website has current turnaround information always available. Your comic shop probably wasn't 100% honest with you when you sent the books in on the actually turnaround time.

Like I said I would never collect either one as both companies have a history of scamming.

CGC had the Ewing fiasco where a guy was unslabbing cgc comics and trimming them then getting them regraded higher with no restoration grade.

CGC had the Hulk #181 that was graded 9. something that when unslabbed was found to have coupons cut out of it and CGC missed it and thus missed a 7 something grade.

PGX had the TMNT swap

PGX has tons and tons of books that are marked as unrestored that have been proven to previously been marked as restored on CGC.

Anytime you have something that will essentially double the value of a comic people will find a way to cheat the system. Now I would hate to spend twice as much on a comic only to find out later it should have sold for less then a unslabbed comic of lesser grade.

Also the fact that CGC and PGX dont consider pressing "Restoration" is a scam in itself.

Its a process where you use heat and a press to flatten comics. Imagine those hot presses they use to add designs to tshirts. So if you have a comic that has a spine roll, or even corner bends they place the comic between 2 sheets of heavy paper or cloth and heat press the comic flat.

Here is example of before and after of pressing:

It is ridiculous not to consider this restoration when I have seen comics jump and entire point if not more by CGC after pressing.

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